


Ghosts

by miceenscene



Series: Shakarian - A Descent into Madness [6]
Category: Mass Effect - All Media Types, Mass Effect Trilogy
Genre: Assassination Attempt(s), Canon-Typical Violence, Drama, F/M, Post-Canon, reclamation, winter soldier - Freeform
Language: English
Status: In-Progress
Published: 2019-01-12
Updated: 2019-01-24
Packaged: 2019-10-09 02:19:05
Rating: Teen And Up Audiences
Warnings: No Archive Warnings Apply
Chapters: 2
Words: 7,243
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/17398124
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/miceenscene/pseuds/miceenscene
Summary: “Shepard?” Garrus breathed. She turned to face him.“Who the hell is Shepard?”--Post-ME3 Winter Soldier AU but with the ending we all DESERVED from that movie





	1. Chapter 1

“Where is she, Hackett?” A loud dual-toned voice demanded as soon as the door opened to the his office. “Where’s Shepard?”

Admiral Hackett dismissed the corporal he’d been speaking with as his office was now suddenly very crowded with the Normandy’s ragtag team of heroes. They looked haggard, but alive. Didn’t they all?

“What have you heard?” Hackett asked, diplomatically. All that did was piss off half of the team. But thankfully the asari, Dr. T’Soni, stepped forward.

“We haven’t heard anything. Our comm systems have been offline since the wave and we landed about 20 minutes ago.”

“Is she up in Huerta?” Admiral Zorah asked.

“Huerta hasn’t been re-opened. There isn’t space in the Citadel yet for anything but construction.” Hackett knew that he was just dodging their real question. He hated to be the one to give them the news. “You may want to sit down.”

Not one of them moved.

“Very well,” he continued. “Commander Shepard has been officially declared Missing in Action.” He watched as every one of their faces fell. “It’s been supposed that she was vaporized in the explosion that took out the Reapers. That station has been torn apart as we’ve been putting it back together. We would have found her by now.” He stopped and let them process through the news. “I’m very sorry. She was a damn fine soldier… and a good friend.”

  
  


Garrus walked ahead of the Primarch down the steps, naturally scanning the darkened street as they left the hall. The street was quiet but not deserted. Fairly typical for the ward they were in at this time of night. The valet pulled up the skycar. Garrus held open the door for the Primarch before getting in the other side and driving away.

“I swear, these benefit dinners get longer every year,” Primarch Victus said as soon as the doors were closed. Garrus nodded in agreement.

“Last year, Hackett kept his speech short and sweet. Too bad the councilor couldn’t do the same this time.” 

“Asari are known for many things. Brevity is not one of them.”

Garrus chuckled a little. “Food was better than last year.”

“Yes, supply lines are steadily improving.”

Garrus merged into traffic and started on the familiar path back to the Turian embassy. 

“There’s another gala next week,” Victus broke the silence after a few minutes.

“What’s this one for?”

“Third anniversary of the end of the genophage.” The bright lights of the ads in the Zakera wards rolled past the windows.

“Has it really been three years?” Garrus mused.

“Hard to believe, isn’t it?”

“Feels like… feels like a decade has passed and no time at all at the same time.”

Victus hummed in agreement. “As major players in that event, we’re both expected to be there. So you won’t be going as my…” Victus hesitated.

“Lackey?” Garrus filled in.

“Protege,” he finished. Garrus nodded. They sat in silence again. “You know, if you’re unhappy, Garrus, you don’t have to come with me to these things. I thought this experience would be useful for--”

“It is.” Garrus merged out of the major flow of traffic. “I’m sorry, I’m still… adjusting. It took them so long to figure out what the new order was after the war. I just never really expected ascension to be a real possibility.”

“I know exactly what you mean,” Victus said, his voice sounding weary.

Garrus glanced over at his friend turned mentor. Victus had never expected to be Primarch either. He’d done a fine job anyway, in Garrus’ mind. And while he liked Victus well enough, his new reality loomed ahead of him like an inescapable noose.

“So if this is celebrating the genophage, will Urdnot Wrex be there?” Garrus asked, trying to pull the conversation to lighter topics.

“Yes, he’s on the guest list.” Victus nodded slightly. “I believe Urdnot Grunt is coming too. Dr. T’Soni as well; she’s ubiquitous at these events.”

Garrus nodded a little. “It’ll be good to see them again.”

“How long has it been?”

“Oh, many months now.”

“Do you still keep in touch?”

“Mostly. Everyone’s so busy these days it’s hard to really exchange more than a mail or two.”

Victus looked at him and Garrus hoped very hard that he wouldn’t ask the obvious question. To his credit, the Primarch didn’t say anything more. Garrus was grateful. He’d spent the better part of the last two and half years coming up with more and more blithe things to say when people asked him. ‘She’ll always be with us.’ ‘We’re proud to carry on her legacy.’ ‘It gets easier as time passes.’ Absolute bullshit. But people didn’t want to hear what mourning was actually like. And Garrus wanted to tell them even less.

He landed the skycar on the platform outside the Turian embassy. Again he glanced about the area. He thought he saw movement on a balcony, but when he looked again there was no one.

“I appreciate the thought, Garrus,” Victus said in an amused tone. “But you worry too much.”

Garrus frowned and looked more intensely. Something didn’t feel right. Suddenly, he saw it. A barrel of a rifle poked out between two curtains.

“Get down!” he cried, throwing himself at the Primarch and knocking him to the side. A shot pinged off a pillar, right behind where Victus’ head had been moments before. 

“Spirits,” Victus swore, sitting up behind the flower planter. Another shot fired blasting a hole in the ground. The sound echoed around the courtyard.

“Stay here and call C-Sec.” Garrus rolled for the next planter over, a shot narrowly missing him. He half stood and dashed for one of the doors at ground level. The sniper wouldn’t be able to get him from this angle.

He threw open the door and ran for the stairs. The sniper was four floors up at the very end of the hall. He dashed past startled translators and trade officials. When he reached the last door, he paused a moment to pull out the shotgun he always kept with him. Checking that he had a fresh heat sink, he kicked open the door.

The room was empty. The window was open and the curtains blew gently in a breeze. He looked around the room but his visor saw no heat signatures. He cautiously approached the window. A chair had been pulled up near it. He touched the seat. It was still warm.

He looked out the window and could hear the unmistakable C-Sec sirens in the distance. Victus was still crouched behind the planter. He was loathed to admit it but this was the perfect angle to see the whole courtyard of the embassy. 

Garrus and C-Sec did a full sweep of the building. Nothing was out of place besides the chair. Security tapes were reviewed, employees interviewed. If it wasn’t for the blast marks on the courtyard, it would seem like nothing at all had happened. It haunted Garrus.

 

“Heard you had a run in with an assassin last week, Victus,” Wrex said with all his usual tact.

“Yes,” Victus admitted. “A sniper as I was returning to the embassy.”

“Cowards snipers. The lot of them.” Wrex smiled broadly at Garrus who was standing next to the Primarch. He smiled ruefully back but didn’t take the bait.

“Well, thanks to Garrus here, no damage done. Save a planter or two.” The gathered group laughed politely. Ah, the soft humor of diplomats. If there was one thing Garrus missed, it was the gallows humor of the barracks. Those were real jokes.

He excused himself and wandered over to the bar where Liara was engrossed in her omnitool.

“Are you ever not working?” he commented, setting his empty glass on the bar top. She looked up and made an apologetic face.

“Sorry. There’s an uprising in Ferris Fields and I’m trying to get in touch with one of my agents,” she explained. But she put the tool away and picked up her glass to turn back to face the party.

“What’s this one about? Medical supplies?”

“Food. They haven’t gotten a shipment from the Alliance in three months. People are starting to starve.”

Garrus frowned. “I suppose that’s understandable.”

“These are ...interesting times we live in.”

“I don’t know about you, but I could go for something a little more boring.”

She nodded.

“Speaking of.” He turned to look at her and lowered his voice. “Have you heard anything from your sources about the mystery assassin?”

She started to speak but noticed the bartender. She gestured with her chin and walked away from the bar. “I’ve found nothing. Which is very unusual.”

“Nothing at all?”

“No. No one’s claimed it. No one heard anything before. It’s like it was...” She hesitated to find the right word.

“A ghost,” he finished for her. 

“Yes. But I have my agents combing for anything that can help the C-Sec investigation.”

“And in the meantime, I’m playing bodyguard as well as pupil.” The sentence came out more bitter than he meant it to be. Liara looked at him with concern. “Sorry. I don’t...”

“No, it’s fine. I understand,” she said simply. He wasn’t sure that she actually did. He didn’t understand it himself. But he let it go. “Victus seems to be doing well, despite the circumstances.”

“Yes. He really fought being moved to a safe house, but the Hierarchy didn’t want to take chances.”

“Couldn’t he just go back to Palaven? Surely, he’d have more security there.”

“He and the Turian councilor are working on some scheme to help speed reconstruction back home. I don’t know the specifics, but Victus doesn’t want to leave till everything’s in writing.”

“Understandable. Will you go back with him?”

“I suppose I ought to,” Garrus said resignedly. Liara frowned at him again, but he didn’t look at her.

“Have you read Tali’s most recent mail?”

“No, I haven’t had a chance yet.” A lie. He’d had many chances. He just hadn’t wanted to read it.

“She sent pictures of her new house. It’s lovely, so many windows. I think she’s having a lot of fun decorating it. She asked if she could host the anniversary reunion and I said I thought that was a great idea. There should be enough time for everyone to clear their schedules--”

Garrus looked down at his glass. “I’m not sure I’m going to go.”

Her head snapped back to look at him, her expression fierce. “What do you mean you might not go?”

“Exactly what I said. I’m not going to go.”

She looked at him as if he grew a second head. “I know that Rannoch is a little out of the way. But if you talk to Victus now, perhaps--”

“It doesn’t matter where it is. I-” He sighed. “I don’t want to go.”

“Why not?”

“Liara, I don’t want to reopen that wound again and again as standing yearly date. We’re never going to get over it if we don’t move on.”

“Pretending it never happened is not moving on,” she replied through gritted teeth. 

“It’s a start,” Garrus said simply. 

Liara blinked rapidly, obviously searching for some sort of retort. She was practically shaking as she leaned in towards him. “ _ She _ would be ashamed of you right now.”

“Well, she’s dead. No amount of reunions is going to change that.”

It was like he’d punched her. She stepped back, a hand covering her mouth. Then she turned on her heel to storm away. A part of him wanted to feel badly for being so blunt. But the larger part assured him that he’d only spoken the truth.

The rest of the ‘party’ was dull and grating. Garrus couldn’t push Liara’s shocked expression from his mind. It kept coming back to confront him again and again. He owed her an apology, he knew he did. He may be bothered by most everything happening in his life these days but that didn’t give him license to be an ass, especially to his friend.

The ride back to Victus’ safe house was silent, thankfully. Garrus wasn’t sure that he could be trusted to string two words together without saying something cruel. He parked the skycar around the corner from the apartment and checked the dark empty street before opening Victus’ door. 

The two turians walked in silence, both still on edge from the attack last week. But there was no movement besides the occasional passing cab. Garrus unlocked the front door and Victus walked in first. Everything seemed quiet and still.

“Thank you for--” Victus started, but stopped when Garrus put a hand on his shoulder. Garrus walked further into the apartment, checking around corners. Nothing looked out of place. Until he reached the back hall. He could have sworn they’d left the bedroom door open. He pulled out his gun again and walked slowly to the door before pushing it open.

The room beyond was dark and empty. Then he heard it. The unmistakable high-pitched beeping.

Garrus threw himself towards the door as the bomb detonated behind him. He was tossed against the wall, bashing his forehead on a picture frame. It dazed him for a moment and he wiped at the dent. He struggled to his feet.

“Victus?” he yelled as he staggered quickly back down the hall. He rounded the corner to the living room. Victus and a dark hooded figure were locked in a death match. Victus was taller, but the figure was faster. Their arms blurred with speed. 

Garrus leapt over the couch and landed a solid hit on the attacker. It knocked them down to the ground but they quickly recovered. A biotic blast sent the two turians soaring to the back of the room. The figure jumped up and ran for the open door. Garrus gave chase, not far behind. He fired a shot and hit the floor at the attacker’s feet.

The attacker ducked into a stairwell. Garrus followed behind, shooting again and hitting the hand rail. Up and up the stairs they ran. The attacker slowly gaining ground ahead of him. His ears were still ringing from the explosion but that was being challenged by the pounding of his blood. He heard the door to the roof of the building open and slam shut. Garrus sprinted up the final steps and burst through the door. 

He gasped for air, looking around wildly for his target. He spotted them sprinting for the edge of the roof. He took a moment to line up a shot and fired, hitting the attacker solidly. They stumbled to their knees but rolled back up into standing over their now injured shoulder. They reached the roof edge and stopped. 

They turned and looked back at Garrus. He couldn’t see their face or even definitively determine a race. Then they stepped backwards off the edge. Garrus ran to the spot, but was blown back as a skycar accelerated up into the sky. Garrus fired wildly at the car and helplessly watched it disappear into traffic.

 

“Liara told me what happened,” Tali said, her voice sounding tinny over the omnitool projection.

“You should have seen this guy. I haven’t seen someone move like that since Kai Leng,” Garrus replied, shaking his head. “Victus is fine for now, but we still don’t have a clue who they are. All we know now is they’re too small to be a Krogan or a Turian. But that still leaves Asari, Drell, Human. Hell, maybe even a Quarian.”

Tali frowned. It was still odd to see her outside of her suit on vid calls from Rannoch. Her wide bright eyes missed very little. “Yes, I heard about that too. But that wasn’t what I was referring to.”

Wonderful. Garrus suppressed a sigh and leaned back on his kitchen counter, crossing his arms. “What did she tell you?”

Tali’s frown deepened and she looked at him harshly. “She told me that you were being a  _ bosh’tet _ in many more words than that.”

“I already have one sister who nags me, Tali. I don’t need two more.”

“Too bad,” she snapped. “Because you’re stuck with us whether you like it or not. How could you say those things to her?”

“I didn’t say anything that wasn’t true.”

“Just because it’s true doesn’t mean it’s kind!” Tali shot back. Garrus didn’t reply, just fumed and turned to pace away from the consol. “Look, grieving is difficult. I understand that. We all do. It’s not a simple linear progression towards what life was like before.” He stopped and looked at her. “But. Just because you’re feeling bad, doesn’t give you a right to take it out on the rest of us.”

“I know!” Garrus looked up at the ceiling and sighed. “I know. I was planning on calling her after we get Victus off the station.”

“You owe her more than that.” She waved forcefully with her hands. “You made her cry, Garrus.”

“She was crying?”

“Of course she was! One of the only family members she has left basically told her he doesn’t care how she feels anymore!”

Garrus rubbed at the new dent on his forehead. It was beginning to throb with a headache. “I didn’t mean it like that.”

“Doesn’t matter. You owe her a real apology, face to face.”

“Fine. I’ll go apologize.” 

“And you’re coming to the anniversary party,” she added. He looked up to start to protest, but the look on her face made him stop. He almost missed her envirosuit; she was much less scary when her face was masked.

“Fine.”

“Good. Now I have to go. An electrician is supposed to be wiring my bathroom and I just know he’s going to do it wrong.”

“Talk to you later, Tali.” And the projection disappeared. He glowered at the top of the counter. He’d have to leave now if he wanted to make it to Liara’s apartment before the night cycle. He grabbed his keys and left his apartment, slamming the door behind him.

The streets were busy. Garrus didn’t bother ducking and weaving, just carved a path straight through. People seemed to jump to get out of his way. He kept running in mental circles of regretting his treatment of Liara but then also stubbornly holding to the belief he’d done nothing wrong. It was maddening.

He wasn’t paying attention to much of anything else. So when his world was turned upside down from a direct warp hit, it took him a moment to recover. He rolled to his feet and searched around. It wasn’t but a second till he saw them. The crowds were running away in a panic and there about a dozen meters off was Victus’ attacker. If Garrus could have seen their face, he would have guessed they were smiling. Or studying him like an insect about to be pinned.

They both stood still for an extended moment. Then Garrus reached for his gun. The assassin ran at him. He fired two shots. One went wide. The other struck the attacker in the same shoulder. A metallic ping rang out. The assassin still ran towards him at full tilt, biotics crackling around them. Garrus dodged a blast and fired twice more. The assassin ducked out of the way and launched themselves at Garrus. They pulled out their omniblade and Garrus just barely knocked it aside.

Garrus was blocking rapid strikes from the omniblade. His sides, his neck, he had no time to think, relying on instinct alone. The assassin swung around to strike again. Garrus ducked under their arm and then struck the back of their head. He doubled the attack with a kick to their ribs, sending them falling backwards against the wall. He ran at them and bashed his knee into their chest. Garrus grabbed their arm and flipped them over his shoulder.

But the assassin landed on their feet. The arm slipped from his hand and they grabbed his neck. He vaguely noticed between gasps that the hand was metal and five-fingered. The assassin pulled Garrus closer and then threw him back to the ground. They jumped after him. Garrus rolled to the side. The metal fist crushing the pavement next to his head. Garrus scrambled further away but didn’t stand.

The attacker pounced again but Garrus was ready this time. He kicked with both feet, hitting them squarely in the jaw and sending them flying backwards. Their mask fell to the ground and the attacker skidded to a stop a few meters away. Garrus jumped back up and readied himself. He noticed that the attacker’s hood had fallen back exposing long bright red hair. She stood up and looked back at him, cold rage in her expression.

“Shepard?” he breathed. She turned to face him.

“Who the hell is Shepard?”


	2. Chapter 2

Garrus ran up the final steps and rang the door chime on Liara’s apartment. He tried to catch his breath and looked over his shoulder. The assassin had gone underground for a few days after each previous attack. But who knew what would happen next anymore? No one answered the door. Garrus rang again. And still no change. So he rapidly pressed on the chime again and again. He could hear the starting bell ring repeatedly on the other side of the wall. 

Finally the door opened.

“Garrus,” Liara sighed, standing in the opening. “I really don’t feel like company right--hey!” He pushed past her and shut and locked the door behind him. “Garrus what are you--”

“I was attacked,” he said, moving quickly to the large windows.

“By the assassin?” She followed behind him. He found the wall panel and set all the windows to black out. Soft lights around the room came on automatically.

“No, well yes.” He turned to look back at her. “I was attacked and it was the assassin but… Liara, it was Shepard.”

Her face grew very cold. “That’s not funny.”

“I’m not joking.”

“Not today, Garrus.” She turned and headed back for the door. “Please leave.”

He ran to stand in front of her. “I’m not lying. The assassin attacked me and the assassin  _ was _ Shepard. You have to believe me.” 

“If you were attacked, how are you standing here right now?”

“Someone must have called C-Sec. She ran as soon as we heard sirens.”

She didn’t reply, just stepped around him to head for the door again. He ran and slammed his hand on the panel so she couldn’t unlock the door.

“Garrus,” she warned.

“Check the security footage. You’ll see I’m not lying.”

She looked at him for an extended moment, eyes narrowed. But she huffed a short breath and headed for her office in the back of the apartment. Garrus followed close behind.

“Where did this happen?” she asked, sitting down at the desk and pulling up a menu.

“The south side of the commons.”

“When?”

“About 40 minutes ago.”

As she typed, her VI drone appeared. Rapid images flashed across the large screen. Garrus had to look away.

“I have found a record of the event,” Glyph said and one image filled the screen. The video started playing. It was a high angle of the wide boulevard he’d been attacked on. The crowd moved swiftly and calmly and nothing seemed wrong. But then there was the bright flash from the biotic attack.

“There! That’s it. Can you zoom in? Enhance?”

“That’s not how cameras work,” Liara said tersely. But her expression softened as the crowds cleared and the fight began. Even having just lived through it not an hour before, it was heart-stopping to watch. She moved so fast around him. It was almost like she was in two places at once. Liara gasped quietly as the assassin smashed the ground next to his pixelated face.

“Stop, here. Look.” Garrus pointed to a part of the screen. “Her mask is off now.”

Liara stood up and leaned closer to the screen to scrutinize. She shook her head. “It’s too small.”

“Glyph, do you have another angle on that person at this timestamp?”

“Searching.” Glyph’s circles spun rapidly. “Yes, I have found another camera.”

Another image appeared on screen. It was from street level, showing the assassin in profile. Garrus and Liara were silent as they stared at the image. From the red hair to the strong jaw to even the way she stood, to him it was Shepard. It couldn’t possibly be anyone else.

Liara shook her head and closed the screen. “That could be anyone, any human.” She stood up and left the office. Garrus looked after her for a minute. How could she be so blind?

“What are you talking about?” he stood in the doorway of her office. She’d already made it to the far end of the hall. He pursued her back into the living room. “You saw her too. That’s Shepard.”

Liara turned, her face a mask. “I don’t know who or what that thing is, but it’s  _ not Shepard _ .”

“Who else could it be?” he demanded.

“It…” She stopped to think for a moment. “It could be a mech. Or it could be another Cerberus clone. Who knows how many of those they made?”

That stopped Garrus momentarily. He hadn’t stopped to consider that possibility. “But the scars,” he implored, stepping towards her. “She’s missing an arm and has burn marks on her face, like she’s been in an explosion.”

“So it’s a clone that has battle damage. That happens when you’re an assassin,” Liara retorted.

Garrus faltered. He thought about that moment that she looked at him. Her face was different, hardened and cold. A shell of who it resembled. He shook his head.

“It’s her. It has to be. I don’t know how… but it is.”

Liara looked at him, confusion and pain written on her face. “Why would you want that to be her?” Her voice was low. “If it is her, do you understand what that means? If that’s Shepard, that means that she survived the Catalyst and someone got to her first.” Her voice grew harsh. She tapped on her omnitool and the tape of his battle with the assassin appeared in a large panel on the wall. “And they turned her into that.” She pointed at the footage while still looking at Garrus.  “Why would you want that to be true?”

He watched the tape play out and his resolve steeled. “Because if it’s her, we can save her.”

“If she can do that to  _ you _ , there may not be anything left to save,” she said, bitterly. 

Garrus stared at the screen. He watched the assassin run away, disappearing around a corner, and then himself leave the other direction.

“I don’t care. I have to know. One way or another.” And he left her apartment.

 

Garrus had run operations exactly like this before, he reminded himself as he scrolled through the store consul. This was nothing new. He had every reason to be calm and collected. However, he’d never been the bait before.

“Garrus, you need to relax. You’re looking a little stiff,” Kasumi’s cool voice came over his comm. 

He didn’t reply but stood up and left the shop, actively trying to be more relaxed.

“Yeah, I can really see that stick up your ass that Joker always talked about,” Jack added. 

“Go talk to that bird over there, the asari,” Zaeed’s rough voice added. “That ought to loosen your plates.”

Garrus looked over his shoulder and noticed a shop assistant making eyes at him. He turned and headed the opposite way.

“Are you two ready to go?” he asked in a low voice, pretending like he was looking at the view. 

“We’ve been ready to go for 2 fucking hours. I’m starting to think you finally bit it and there’s no one after you.”

“Kasumi, do you see anything?”

“Nothing yet. Just a lot of happy shoppers and one unhappy Turian.”

Zaeed laughed and Garrus had to fight back a sigh. When he’d asked the three best criminals he knew to help him with this difficult mission, he hadn’t realized that he’d invited three comedians at the same time. 

_ “Do I get to kill anybody?” Jack asked, resting her boot against the table top. _

_ “No, Jack, as I said, we need to capture them alive. That’s what makes this tricky.” _

_ She rolled her eyes. “Lame.” She heaved a sigh. “Whatever. I’m in.” _

Very very bloodthirsty comedians.

_ “So I have the best damn biotic inhibitors that money can buy, straight from Thessia,” Zaeed tossed the bracelet looking devise to Garrus. “I have Krogan-strength tranqs. Reinforced the walls with heavy-grade steel. The door is a 15-pin combo lock that can only be accessed from the outside. And,” Zaeed opened the door and walked into the room beyond. “Cameras.” He pointed to the corners of the room. “Four separate angles, heat signature and infrared. As well as pulse monitoring. Not even a goddamn Yagh could break out of here.” _

_ “Perfect, Zaeed. Thank you.” _

_ “Plus all the cameras turn off when you need to do wet work.” _

_ “...I don’t think that will be necessary.” _

_ “That’s what they all say.” _

But comedians nonetheless.

_ “I’ll be about 15 meters behind you and looking for anyone suspicious.” Kasumi tested her technical cloak, shimmering out of view. “So your job is to just do some shopping. Browse the markets, maybe get lunch--” _

_ “And wait for an assassin to try and kill me,” Garrus finished for her. _

_ “Exactly. Easy breezy.” _

They could all give Joker a run for his money if they wanted. Garrus turned away from the edge and headed further down the lane. He gave a wide berth to the store with the asari shopkeeper and ducked into another one without checking the sign.

“I’m Commander Shepard, and this is my favorite store on the Citadel.”

The recording cut through him like a knife. He stopped just inside the doorframe. The whole place was dedicated to her. Action figures and posters and mugs. Her picture everywhere he looked. It was busy, tourists and children mingled between shelves. No wonder they hadn’t changed the greeting. Ooh, this was a mistake coming in here. 

“Garrus, keep shopping,” Kasumi reminded him. “You still need to buy something. It’d be weird if you didn’t.”

Garrus forced himself to put one foot in front of the other and pretend like he was looking at the merchandise. It helped slightly that most of the depictions didn’t much resemble her at all. He found himself staring at an action figure. ‘With real biotic-like action!’ the display proclaimed in bright red text. Apparently if you squeezed the legs together, a purple light flashed from her outstretched hand. Her small face was severe and the paint on one eye hadn’t lined up correctly. He swiped it off the shelf and headed for the check out counter. Anything to get out of here.

“Are you a Shepard collector too?” the human man behind the counter asked in an overly friendly tone.

“Uh, yeah.”  _ What  _ possessed him to say that? Spirits, he was doing a bad job of relaxing and blending in. 

The human’s eyes lit up. “You were smart to come get this today then.” The human waved the box. “These are selling fast. Though if you’re a serious collector, I have something that may be a bit more interesting.” The man practically sang the last few words. He looked back and forth, as if someone might be watching them in this incredibly busy store, and reached under the counter. He pulled out a large box covered in a clear plastic bag. “We got this in last week.”

It was a full set of action figures of the whole Normandy crew, well, the crew during the Reaper war. There was a tiny Liara and Tali. Kaidan and James had the exact same body mould. That probably drove Vega nuts, Garrus thought amusedly. Javik and EDI were suspiciously absent, not surprising as the more apocryphal members of the team. There was even a miniature version of himself.

“I’m not sure why the Turian is the only one wearing a helmet,” the salesman mused. 

Hm. Perhaps he should learn to read a contract before just refusing to sign it, Garrus realized. 

“But--this is great--look at the Shepard. She has her battle gear, but also casual fatigues too.” They even had her sleeves rolled up like she always did. “Now this set also has a Normandy that they’d all fit inside, but those are super rare. Practically impossible to find.”

“How much is it?”

“It’s not cheap. These didn’t sell well, so they only made about a thousand. They’re really popular amongst collectors.

Garrus frowned and leaned back. This was crazy, why was he even considering this?

“But,” the salesman jumped back in. “You seem like a nice guy, so I’ll tell you what I can do. If you can name her five squadmates, first and last names, I’ll give you fifteen percent off.”

Newly purchased and ridiculously expensive toy in hand, Garrus left the shop a few minutes later. As he stepped back outside, he was reminded of what he was actually supposed to be doing right now. The mission. Assassins. Stalking death. Right. He shook his head a little and turned to continue down the street, trying to figure out a way to hold the large bag so it didn’t bump against his spurs.

“Garrus, you have a follower,” Kasumi said calmly.

“Are you sure?” Garrus asked, trying to match her placid energy.

“Very.”

“What do they look like?” 

“About 1.7, 1.8 meters tall. Smaller frame. Penchant for dark colors.”

“Yeah, that’s them.” He fought the urge to look over his shoulder.

“Okay. Garrus, you know what to do. Jack, Zaeed, we’re heading your way. ETA 7 minutes.”

“Copy that,” Zaeed replied.

Garrus knew he was imagining it, but it felt like he could feel eyes boring into the the back of his skull. He turned off the main road and headed back into the nearby residential districts of the presidium. 

After the war, somehow he’d inherited Anderson’s old apartment. He hadn’t been able to bring himself to sell it, nor could he live in it. So it sat empty and unused for the last almost 3 years. Until a few days ago, when three criminals descended on his life for his own protection.

As the streets grew less and less crowded, Garrus felt his heart rate speed up. Kasumi would check in every minute or so, reassuring him that she still had both of them in her sight. As he turned a corner, he was able to surreptitiously glance out of the corner of his eye behind him. Unmistakably, there she was. Hooded and dark, moving like water down the street after him. Even with everything he’d lived through, it still sent a chill down his spine.

But he kept his pace perfectly measured, never once walking faster than a leisurely stroll. He could feel her steadily closing the distance between the two of them. He opened the door to the apartment and walked inside. 

The door hissed shut behind him. Suddenly a bright blue biotic blast shined behind him, casting a stark shadow on the floor. He turned around and the assassin was caught in a stasis field. Jack was a few feet off, grimacing in concentration, hands outstretched.

Zaeed plunged a tranq pen into the assassin’s thigh. The three stood still for a moment and then Jack lowered her stasis field. The assassin dropped to the ground in a heap of dark fabric. Kasumi materialized behind her.

“Nice work, everybody,” she said, hopping up on the consul table by the door. 

“I kind of thought this would be harder, Garrus. The way you were crying about this guy.” Jack crossed her arms.

Garrus snagged another tranq pen from the kitchen counter and administered it to the other thigh.

“One of those is strong enough to knock a Krogan off his hump,” Zaeed said, watching with a frown.

“I’m not taking any chances.” Satisfied that she wasn’t going to get up anytime soon, Garrus stood up and went to dispose of the pens.

“Well, let’s see what has Garrus pissing in fear.” Jack knelt down next to the assassin and pulled away the hood.

“Wait, Jack, no!” Garrus yelled.

Jack dropped the hood like she’d been burned and jumped back. Biotic crackles sprang off her finger-tips as she stared open-mouthed. Zaeed stepped a little closer. Kasumi scrambled back a few paces. 

Her red hair was splayed over the ground. Her jaw was slack in her unconscious state. But her face was all too familiar to each them.

Jack spun around to face Garrus. “What the shit, Garrus?” she demanded, shaking with rage. “You said you had an assassin, not a fucking…” She glanced at the form on the floor. “You should have fucking told us.”

“And say precisely what, Jack?” Garrus snapped back. “That I think our dead commander is trying to kill me? You’d all think I was crazy!”

Jack scoffed. “That’s still not off the table.”

Zaeed knelt next to her and turned her head to the other side, revealing the angry burn scar up the left side of her neck and cheek.

“We still deserve answers,” Kasumi said, her voice urgent.

Garrus shook his head. “I don’t have answers. Everything I know for fact, I’ve already told you. I don’t know what’s going on.”

“Whatever it is, it can’t be good,” Zaeed said, standing back up and crossing his arms.

The group was quiet for a moment; all four looking at the body on the floor.

“But it’s… I mean, is it really… isn’t it?” Kasumi asked, looking back to Garrus.

“Zaeed, take her to the safe room,” Garrus ordered. “I have to make some calls.”

 

About six hours later, Garrus walked down the hall to the safe room tucked into the back corner of the apartment. Kasumi was sitting on the chair they’d stationed in front of the monitors, rocking it on its back legs. She looked up.

“You here to relieve me?” she asked. Garrus nodded. “Good.” She stood up and twisted side to side, stretching muscles. “So I know she tried to kill you and all, but I have to say.” She held up the hood Jack had pulled off earlier. “I like her style.” She smiled a little.

“Any change?” He looked at the monitors.

“No. Still asleep. Not surprising with the amount of tranquilizers in her system.”

They both stared at the monitors for a minute. She was tied to a chair in the middle of the room, her head lolled forward.

“You know, I really can’t decide. Is it worse if that isn’t her? Or if it is?” she asked quietly.

“Me too.”

Kasumi looked up at him for a moment and then drifted back down hall. Garrus sat down in the chair, pulling open his omnitool. He spent the better part of two hours trying to read a dossier from Victus. But his eyes kept drifting up to the monitors. Deeply morbid curiosity overwhelmed him. He glanced over his shoulder and turned off the cameras.

It took him a full minute to punch in the very long key code that Zaeed had encrypted. But eventually the door unlocked and Garrus stepped into the safe room. He shut the door silently and turned to face her. 

She hadn’t moved. She was still tied to the chair, cheek resting against her chest which raised up and down with each slow breath. He took one step closer. Then another. One more step and then he crouched down in front of her. It brought his face to level with hers, their knees not quite touching. Almost instantaneously a memory rose to the surface, unbidden.

_ Her face was peaceful, but he knew her well enough that she was not asleep. She heaved a long breath and opened her eyes, meeting his gaze. _

_ “You should be asleep,” she whispered, adjusting her head on the pillow. _

_ “So should you,” he replied. She moved closer to him, her arm wrapping around him and he did the same to her. But neither of them looked away from the other’s face. He brushed away a bit of hair that had fallen in her eyes. _

_ “I couldn’t sleep before the Collector base either,” she murmured. _

_ “Well, we survived that so we should be fine tomorrow.” _

_ She smiled a little and nodded. “Of course.” _

_ “Shepard,” he said after a moment. “If we don’t--” _

_ She put a hand up and covered his mouth with her fingers. “Don’t.” She shook her head. _

_ “I just--” _

_ “Tell me tomorrow, okay?” Her eyes pleaded. “Tell me after we win.” _

_ He leaned forward and pressed his forehead against hers. _

The memory left just as swiftly as it came. He was left breathless as he studied her face. The gentle curve and slope of her so very human nose. The freckles peppering her cheeks, forming his favorite constellations. He knew this face, her face, so well. It had to be her, didn’t it? That could be anyone, Liara’s voice echoed in the back of his mind.

Maybe it was all just wishful thinking. This couldn’t possibly be her. He’d just missed her so badly that she’d been summoned into some sort of tortured version of existence. Or the universe just hated him that much. At this point, he shouldn’t be surprised anymore.

He could see movement under her closed eyelids. Her nose twitched. Blearily, she opened one eye then the other. He froze, just watching her. She swallowed and shook her head. She noticed her bound arms first, then she looked up and met his gaze.

She seemed surprised. Her eyebrows knitted together as she looked at him, as if she was trying to figure him out. It made his heart stop. 

“Shepard?” His voice barely above a whisper. 

She flinched. Winding her face up and looking away, she started breathing heavily. And when she looked back up, her face was contorted in furious rage. She snarled, lunging at him. He jumped back. She was still bound to the chair which was bolted to the floor. The veins in her neck protruding as she strained to break herself free. But Zaeed’s work held strong. He could see her try different biotic attacks, but the inhibitor kept from even a crackle appearing on her finger tips. A frustrated scream ripped from her chest as she tried to wrench herself free. Her fair skin turning bright red with the effort. 

Garrus left the room and slammed the door shut behind him, double-checking that it was locked. He took a deep breath to steady his breathing and his heart rate. He turned the cameras back on and watched her continue to struggle. It was terrifying. She hardly seemed human. 

But he knew what he saw. In that moment when she just looked at him, it was undeniable. The last time he’d seen her eyes, really seen them, was in London. Green as a forest and bright as the dawn. They were still exactly the same.

He didn’t know what had happened to her, or why this was how the cards had played out for them. But that was Shepard--the Shepard, their Shepard, his Shepard--in there. And there was nothing in the galaxy that would stop him from saving her.

**Author's Note:**

> I have...no excuse. Lemme know what you think in the comments below! <3, Kaitlyn


End file.
